[R.O. 2007 §26-1; Ord. No. 3521 §4, 3-4-1968]
For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
EMPLOYEE
Any person who is working for any department of the City and who is not an appointed or elected official.
OFFICER
Any official of the City who holds his/her office by virtue of an appointment by either the City Manager or City Council or both.
[R.O. 2007 §26-2]
Any employee violating any of the provisions of this Chapter shall be subject to suspension and/or dismissal in addition to any penalty which may be imposed for the violation of the same.
[R.O. 2007 §26-2.1; Ord. No. 4837 §1, 10-1-1984]
The City Council of the City of Poplar Bluff hereby adopts and instructs its officers and employees to implement the "Affirmative Action Plan for the City of Poplar Bluff, Missouri". A copy of this plan is on file in the City offices and incorporated herein by specific reference.
[1]
Cross Reference — As to grievance procedure for complaints of discrimination on the basis of handicapped status, §100.180.
[R.O. 2007 §26-3]
Appointments to positions with the City shall be made on the basis of ability, training and experience. The City Manager shall appoint all regular employees of the City except those required by law to be officially appointed by the City Council.
[R.O. 2007 §26-4]
Firefighters and Police Officers shall serve a probationary period of six (6) months. All other appointments to positions in the service of the City shall be for a probationary period of ninety (90) days. An employee may be dismissed during the probation period at any time.
[R.O. 2007 §26-4.1; Ord. No. 3924 §1, 7-3-1972; Ord. No. 4098 §1, 9-3-1974; Ord. No. 4365 §§1 — 2, 12-18-1978; Ord. No. 4591 §1, 6-1-1981; Ord. No. 5262 §1, 3-6-1989; Ord. No. 5960 §1, 3-3-1997; Ord. No. 6060 §1, 4-6-1998; Ord. No. 7623 §1, 5-4-2015]
A. 
Preference. In the judgment of the hiring officer where two (2) or more applicants have equal qualifications, then preference shall be given to that applicant living within the City limits.
B. 
All present and future employees shall be allowed residency outside the City limits of Poplar Bluff, provided that they reside within the boundaries of Butler County, or in the adjacent Missouri Counties of Ripley, Wayne, Carter, Stoddard and Dunklin, but not more than forty-five (45) miles from the Butler County line. Employees of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Utilities Department may reside outside the City limits within a twelve (12) mile radius of the Business Highway 60/67 (Chamber of Commerce building) intersection. The terms "present employees" and "future employees" shall refer to regular employees as of the date of the enactment of this Section. No City-owned vehicle shall be driven home outside the boundary of Butler County.
[Ord. No. 7804 § 2, 8-7-2017; Ord. No. 21-21, 6-7-2021]
C. 
City Manager And Department Heads. The City Manager and Assistant City Manager shall be required to reside within the City limits. Current and future department heads shall be allowed to reside outside the City limits but within the boundaries of Butler County.
[Ord. No. 19-24, 4-22-2019]
D. 
Telephone. All present and future employees shall have telephone service at his/her place of residence or cellular service. Unlisted phones will be permitted, providing that the unlisted phone number be made available to all departments of the City.
E. 
Violations. Any employee violating the residency requirement regulations may be suspended, demoted or dismissed by the City Manager.
[R.O. 2007 §26-5]
A. 
Generally. The City Manager, with the advice and recommendations of department heads, shall establish reasonable minimum standards as to character, intelligence, ability to meet public and physical conditions as necessary for satisfactory job performance.
B. 
Examinations. Applicants for positions with the City may be required to pass appropriate competitive written, oral and physical examinations to determine whether they meet the established standards. The examinations, if required, shall be prepared and given under the direction of the City Manager or his/her designated representative. Physical examinations required will be at the expense of the City.
[R.O. 2007 §26-6]
Department heads and supervisors shall anticipate retirements and turnover and shall train employees to assume greater responsibility. In filling vacancies, an effort should be made to promote qualified employees from within the City forces before seeking an outside replacement.
[R.O. 2007 §26-7]
No official or employee of the City shall, without the approval of his/her superior, disclose confidential information concerning the property, government or affairs of the City. Nor shall he/she under any circumstances use such information to advance the financial or other private interest of himself/herself or others.
[R.O. 2007 §26-8]
A. 
No official or employee of the City shall accept any valuable gift, whether in the form of service, loan, thing or promise, from any person who, to his/her knowledge, is interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings with the City; nor shall any such official or employee:
1. 
Accept any gift, favor or thing of value that may tend to influence him/her in the discharge of his/her duties, or
2. 
Grant in the discharge of his/her duties any improper favor, service or thing of value.
[R.O. 2007 §26-9; Ord. No. 6081 §1, 6-1-1998]
No employee of the City shall seek nomination, election or appointment to a City political office. No employee of the City shall use or threaten to use his/her influence favoring or opposing any candidate for political office; nor use any municipal facilities, supplies or equipment for political purposes; nor shall any employee engage in any political activities while on duty as a City employee or make any political statement or appearance at a political function as a City employee. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit or prevent any employee from contributing to any candidate, political committee or political fund; from becoming or continuing to be a member of a political club or organization; from fully participating in the activities of and attending the meetings of a political club or organization; from publicly displaying support for or opposition to any candidate or issue through the distribution or the wearing of buttons, the display of bumper stickers, signs or other means of expression; or from enjoying entire freedom from all interference in casting his/her vote.
[R.O. 2007 §26-10; Ord. No. 4591 §1, 6-1-1981]
Vehicles owned by the City will be provided for certain personnel for town purposes only. City vehicles are not to be used for personal purposes. If a City vehicle is involved in an accident, either on a public street or private property, the same shall not be moved until such time as the Police Department and the employee's department head are notified.
[R.O. 2007 §§26-11 — 26-13]
A. 
Payroll Advances. Employees shall not receive an advance in pay and upon termination of employment, they will be paid all wages due within ten (10) days.
B. 
To The City. The final paycheck due any officer or employee who shall be indebted to the City shall not be issued until the extent of such indebtedness to the City has been determined and cleared.
[R.O. 2007 §26-14]
The use of intoxicating beverages by any officer or employee of the City while on duty is strictly prohibited and shall be cause for immediate discharge.
[R.O. 2007 §26-15]
Employees of the City who are irregular in reporting for work without acceptable reasons therefor may be discharged for irregular attendance. The employee shall not be discharged for irregular attendance unless he/she has been warned at least once by his/her department head that his/her attendance is unsatisfactory and that further irregular attendance will lead to discharge.
[R.O. 2007 §26-16]
The work of the City shall have precedence over the other occupational interests of employees. All outside employment for salary, wages or commission and all self-employment must be reported to and approved by an employee's department head. Conflicting outside employment shall be grounds for dismissal.
[R.O. 2007 §26-17]
During the investigation, hearing or trial of an employee on any criminal charge or during the course of any civil action involving an employee, when suspension would be in the best interests of the City, the City Manager may suspend the employee without pay for the duration of the proceedings as a non-disciplinary measure. Back pay shall not ordinarily be recoverable, but where the suspension is terminated by full reinstatement of the employee, the City Manager may authorize full recovery of pay and benefits for the entire or for any lesser period of the suspension.
[R.O. 2007 §26-18]
The City hereby reserves the right to suspend without pay for not less than one (1) day or more than thirty (30) days any employee for action that does not warrant dismissal.
[R.O. 2007 §26-19]
A. 
Any employee guilty of gross negligence, disloyalty to the City or defects of character that bring discredit upon the City may be suspended, fined, demoted or dismissed by the City Manager without notice.
B. 
A permanent employee whose work is not satisfactory over a period of time shall be notified in what way his/her work is deficient and what he/she must do if his/her work is to be satisfactory. If, after suitable notice, the permanent employee continues to be negligent or fails to do work up to the standards of the classification held, he/she may be demoted or dismissed by the department head concerned and a report of such action filed with the City Manager.
[R.O. 2007 §26-20; Ord. No. 5516 §1, 1-6-1992]
To leave the employment of the City with good standing, an employee must give two (2) weeks' notice. The City will give two (2) weeks' notice to any regular employee before laying off due to reduction in force or elimination of job classification. The City Manager may at his/her discretion waive the notice in unusual circumstance.
[R.O. 2007 §26-21]
In the event that a reduction in force becomes necessary, consideration will be given to the quality of each employee's past performance, the needs of the service and seniority in determining those employees to be retained. Regular employees who are to be laid off due to reduction in force will be given at least one (1) day pay period notice of anticipated layoff.
[R.O. 2007 §26-22]
Temporary or part-time employees shall not be included in the provisions of this Chapter and each will be set up on an individual basis as to salary, working hours, work to be performed, etc., by the City Manager. They will not be included in holiday leave, retirement pay, etc., due to the fact that they are only employed part time or on a temporary basis.
[R.O. 2007 §26-24; Ord. No. 4601 §1, 7-6-1981]
A request for personnel information shall be made in writing to the City Manager and shall contain the name of the employee, the type of information requested and the reason the request is being made. Thereafter, the City Manager or his/her designate shall release information consistent with the provisions of Chapter 610, RSMo.
[R.O. 2007 §26-25; Ord. No. 5790 §1, 3-20-1995]
A. 
Immediate Family Defined. "Immediate family" shall mean spouses, children, stepdaughter, stepson, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, parent-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law or grandchildren. Immediate family shall also include persons related by blood or marriage residing in an employee's home.
B. 
Conditions Where Immediate Family May Not Be Employed. Immediate family shall not be employed in any positions where:
1. 
Two (2) or more family members would be employed in the same City department;
2. 
One (1) member would have the authority to supervise, appoint, remove or discipline or evaluate the performance of the other;
3. 
One (1) member would be responsible for auditing the work of the other;
4. 
Other circumstances exist which would place the family members in a situation of actual or reasonably foreseeable conflict between the City's interests and their own.